The word "antibiotics" is now frequently used in homes, particularly when sick children are involved. Parents frequently struggle to know when and how to use them appropriately. Renowned pediatrician Dr. Komarovsky has offered his insights on this crucial subject, assisting parents in making defensible choices.
He underlines that although antibiotics are effective instruments, their use must be exercised caution. When taken for conditions they can’t treat, like viral infections, misuse can cause more harm than good.
Antibiotic resistance can be avoided and children can be spared needless side effects by knowing when and when not to use antibiotics. Parents can learn a lot from Dr. Komarovsky’s advice as they make these decisions.
| Topic | Details |
| Who is Dr. Komarovsky? | Dr. Komarovsky is a well-known pediatrician and educator from Ukraine, famous for his practical advice on child health. |
| His view on antibiotics | Dr. Komarovsky emphasizes that antibiotics should only be used for bacterial infections and not for viral illnesses like colds or flu. |
| Why cautious use? | Overusing antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance, making them less effective for future infections. |
| Alternative treatments | For viral infections, he recommends supportive care, like rest, fluids, and fever management, rather than antibiotics. |
| When to see a doctor | If a child’s condition doesn’t improve or worsens, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional for proper treatment. |
- Features
- Drip, inject or drink antibiotics
- When to stop the course of treatment
- Is it possible to treat different diseases with one drug
- Can a child be given strong antibiotics
- Can antimicrobial agents affect immunity
- How to “restore” a child’s body after treatment
- Video on the topic
- Antibiotics. Side effects.
- Dr. Komarovsky on antibiotics
- Pneumonia and antibiotics | Dr. Komarovsky
- Antibiotics. Wait and see!
- When antibiotics are needed? – Dr. Komarovsky
Features
In his books, videos lectures, and articles, Evgeny Olegovich discusses antimicrobial drugs at length and voluntarily. The doctor first stresses that they are there to fight off different kinds of bacteria, fungus, chlamydia, etc. Antibiotics are necessary in nearly all cases where bacteria are the cause of the illness. Since almost all bacterial diseases are extremely severe, they aid in recovery and in certain cases even save a person’s life.
Watch the video below to learn Dr. Komarovsky’s thoughts on antibiotics when they should still be administered.
However, there is an additional issue in Russia: a lot of people begin taking antibacterial medications for ARVI and the flu, and even pediatricians prescribe them to their young patients.
Komarovsky highlights that viruses that cause the flu, ARVI, ARI, and a variety of other illnesses are immune to antibiotics. Additionally, taking them increases the risk of complications and leads to the development of antibiotic resistance.
Komarovsky provides a plausible explanation for this state of affairs and expresses no doubt about the qualifications of his colleagues who act in this manner. When a doctor diagnoses a child with influenza or acute respiratory viral infections—which account for 99 percent of cases of "colds"—he knows that there is generally nothing he can do to treat the virus. Considering that a virus can only be destroyed by the child’s immunity, treatment for it entails doing so.
Naturally, a responsible physician should advise the parents to ventilate the room, drink lots of water, and clean it thoroughly without giving the child any medication. That’s all there is to it. Simultaneously, he has a duty to alert parents to the possibility of viral infection complications and to the fact that there is no way to influence their probability; complications will occur or they won’t.
Parents will probably tell you that the doctor who tells them this is incompetent and will seek another opinion, if only to prescribe something.
In light of this, pediatricians increasingly recommend antibiotics "just in case" to soothe parents and shield themselves from potential legal repercussions should the child unexpectedly contract pneumonia in the context of ARVI.
In this case, parents must have the ability to say "no." Knowing how to refuse such appointments, according to Komarovsky, will make life easier for everyone involved, including the doctor, who is aware that giving antibiotics for a virus will only make matters worse. For a mother who will understand that she is safeguarding the health of her child. For the infant himself, who won’t be injected with strong medications that he doesn’t currently require.
Recall that treating the flu, acute respiratory viral infections, measles, chickenpox, and scarlet fever does not involve the use of antibiotics! Furthermore, depending on the pathogen that caused it, your options may change if the doctor diagnoses you with tonsillitis.
Drip, inject or drink antibiotics
Evgeny Komarovsky responds to this query by saying that you must act in accordance with the circumstances. Nowadays, antimicrobial medications come in a variety of forms. But it’s unacceptable to use them incorrectly. Frequently, parents purchase an antibiotic in the form of a dry powder to dilute injections, give their child a drink of it, or drip it into their ear.
Says Komarovsky, this is incorrect. Every medication should be taken exactly as prescribed. The two unpleasant diagnoses of purulent otitis and purulent conjunctivitis are the only exceptions. With them, it is actually acceptable to dilute the injection powder with saline before dripping it into the ear or the eyes, respectively.
When to stop the course of treatment
Many mothers give this justification: the child is much better now, his fever has dropped, he is eating, and he is no longer spending the entire day in bed; therefore, it is time to stop the antibiotics so as not to expose the infant to needless chemicals. This strategy is illegal, according to Evgeny Komarovsky.
There’s a reason why the prescribed treatment plan is there. It is recommended to give one antibiotic to a child for three days, while another should be given for five days. This is because different antibiotics can build up in the body in different ways. Therapy that is stopped too soon may result in major side effects and a relapse of the illness. Furthermore, any bacteria in the child’s body that are not totally eliminated will grow resistant to the antibiotic the next time around.
Is it possible to treat different diseases with one drug
Of course, different bacterial infections can be treated with the same antibiotic. However, Komarovsky advises against using a single medication to treat the same illness in any situation. Drug allergies are more likely as a result of this.
A different medication should be prescribed by the doctor if the child becomes ill two months after recovering and starting antibiotics. This will raise the likelihood of rapidly eliminating bacteria and help prevent allergies. Since they are resistant to the antibiotic that was previously prescribed, some of the microorganisms may have persisted in the child from a previous recent illness. We need a new medication.
Adults are alerted by Komarovsky to the dual nature of antibiotics—their narrow and broad spectrums. While the latter are active against the majority of known pathogens, the former are made for specific types and kinds of bacteria. Doctors attempt to prescribe broad-spectrum medications because it is not always possible to pinpoint the specific microbe that caused a given disease and because not every children’s clinic has bacteriological laboratories.
Can a child be given strong antibiotics
Evgeny Komarovsky asserts that there are no strong or weak antibiotics. Naturally, it is far more convenient for parents to think that a medication costing several hundred rubles is superior to one costing several dozen rubles. Pricing policy ought not to be the decisive element. All parents need to know is that these pricy medications are meant for extreme situations, like when the microbe is resistant to other treatments. Fortunately, instances like this are rare.
Therefore, if a child needs a drug, it doesn’t really matter which one they get. For 80 rubles, it is "Biseptol," and for 600 rubles, it is "Sumamed." Effectiveness is not indicated by price.
Antibiotics, according to Dr. Komarovsky, should only be used in extreme cases because they cannot treat viral infections like the flu or colds. He exhorts parents to strictly adhere to a doctor’s instructions, refrain from self-prescribing, and be mindful of any possible adverse effects. Antibiotic resistance can make future treatments less effective, but when used improperly, they can save lives.
Can antimicrobial agents affect immunity
Komarovsky asserts that no antibacterial agent, no matter how strong, affects immunity. It is the disease itself and the body’s attempts to fight off infections that erode a child’s natural defenses, not the pills and injections. In theory, antibiotics are unable to strengthen or weaken the immune system.
How to “restore” a child’s body after treatment
Parents frequently want to know how to prevent diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain in their children, or better yet, how to help them deal with dysbacteriosis, which arises during antibiotic treatment.
Komarovsky thinks that there is a little overkill in the link between antibiotic use and dysbacteriosis. And here, too, there were pharmacists involved who stand to gain financially from the concept of intestinal flora restoration being required following antibacterial treatment.
Clinical dysbacteriosis, according to Komarovsky, is a truly pathological violation of the intestinal microflora that happens very infrequently and requires some special treatment.
These side effects typically arise from long-term use of broad-spectrum antibiotics combined with an unreasonable parenting style regarding the infant’s diet. For instance, he was overfed and made to eat a diet high in fat during therapy. Even in this situation, Komarovsky advises against initiating an additional, pricey course of treatment with Enterofuril, which would involve giving the infant probiotics and prebiotics.
To recuperate, one simply needs to maintain a balanced diet. Considering the recent ban on antibiotics, the gut flora typically recuperates rapidly on its own. Rehabilitation won’t be difficult or take a long time.
Komarovsky alerts parents to the fact that the efficacy of the many promoted probiotics and prebiotics has not been clinically demonstrated—something that the manufacturers of these products refuse to discuss.
Antibiotics should only be taken when absolutely necessary and under a doctor’s supervision, according to Dr. Komarovsky. When these drugs are overused or misused, resistance develops, which reduces their usefulness when needed most.
Parents should keep in mind that not all illnesses, particularly viral ones like the common cold, call for the use of antibiotics. The best course of action is frequently to support a child’s immune system with the right care and to give them time to heal.
In order to ensure that antibiotics are used responsibly for the benefit of both your child’s health and the health of the larger community, it is crucial that you trust your pediatrician and adhere to their advice.
